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Home burglaries in San Carlos have decreased dramatically in the past three months thanks to vigilant residents and newly formed neighborhood watch groups, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office reported Tuesday.

From January to mid-April, 26 home burglaries were reported in San Carlos, sheriff's Capt. Greg Rothaus said.

Residents and local agencies reacted by calling community meetings and forming as many as five new neighborhood watch groups.

From mid-April through July, home burglaries decreased more than 50 percent, with only 12 reported during the past three and a half months, according to the Sheriff's Office.

"Our city came together in a big way when we felt the sting from the higher burglary rates," Rothaus said in a statement.